Chapter 33 Sun Lessons

Chapter 33 Sun Lessons
They met the rest of the court in the grand dining room. Caen was notably absent as Lucy took her seat. 

There were not many members of the nobility present, including Lord Devon; Bethias’ husband was absent. Few vampires paid attention to Lucy as she ate her meal, opting to speak with members of their own kind. 

Neither the knights nor the duke was present. Lucy was informed that they were training with the palace guards, leaving her to wonder how a vampire and a human might fight. 

After the meal, Lucy said goodbye to Bethias and returned to her chambers. She spent the rest of the night out on her balcony writing in her journal. 

As it came time for the last meal, Lucy waved off the maids, insisting on eating in her chambers. She did not think the vampires would miss her presence. Even if she hoped one in particular would. 

A tray was brought to her chambers as her last meal, after she had refused to attend the dinner. 

She sipped her tea in the night air, taking in the landscape of her new home. When the sky brightened, she headed inside and dressed for bed. 

The next day was similar to the day before. She dressed and ate, then met Bethias in the library. They were going over the basics of vampires yesterday, including blood, and today was about the sun. 

“Vampires cannot go out in the sun.” Bethias began. 

Lucy stared at her, waiting for more information than what she had already gathered. 

“Prolonged sun exposure will cause her skin to burn to dust. Even the touch of sunlight is excruciating.” Bethias is explaining, making Lucy feel as if she were a secret. 

“To go outside during the day, you have to cover up?” Lucy asked, thinking of the time Caen found her in the garden on the day they had met. 

“From head to toe,” Bethias nodded. “Some occupations require being out in the sun at times, such as a guard.”

“How do you heal if you do go out in the sun?”

If the sun was so bad that vampires could not step foot out into it, then perhaps there was no cure, and it was instant death. 

“That brings us back to yesterday, with blood.” Bethias pointed out to her. 

Bethias went on to explain that even the light from the sun can cause discomfort to vampires. That not even direct contact was needed for pain. Some vampires were able to withstand it more than others, but as a general rule, all curtains and doors would need to be closed during the day. 

“Then why have windows at all?” Lucy asked, wondering why the buildings were not sealed shut. 

“Because even some vampires have better sight than others. The moonlight helps the ones with poorer vision.’” Bethias said, leaving Lucy stunned. 

“What about other injuries? Do you have healers?” Lucy wondered what alignments could hurt a vampire. 

“Not in the same way humans do. Blood heals most alignments; however, vampires are more durable than humans.” Bethias explained unapologetically. Lucy appreciated her straightforwardness. 

“Are you faster?” Lucy suspected, but nothing had been confirmed to her. 

“Significantly.” She said without hesitation.

“And stronger,” Lucy stated, drawing the obvious conclusion. 

“No contest,” Bethias said, giving her a straight answer. 

“What chance do we have at survival in a fight?” Lucy asked, looking at the pile of books that lay in front of her. 

“The sun and the Manu. Other creatures of the night live there.” Bethias explained that even though it felt like the answer was that they had no hope of ever winning a fight with a vampire. 

“What creatures live in the Manu?” Lucy’s head swirled with questions.

“That is a very complicated and entirely different discussion. We will get there, but we still need to focus on the basics.” Bethias said with a deep breath. There was a lot of information they needed to cover, but she wanted to begin with what Lucy absolutely

Bethias picked up a book and turned to a page. “This is a map of Kunlun,” she said, gesturing to the page. “This is where you arrived out of the Manu, and here we are in the capital.” Her finger glided over the pages. 

They discussed mountains and plains. Which parts of the country were best for agriculture, including Lord Garrick’s estate? 

“This mountain used to be a volcano many centuries ago; however, it is dormant, but the soil is good, making Lord Garrick’s wine exceptional.”

“Is that why he is so proud of it?”

“Yes, and deservedly so, even if it can be annoying at times.”

They discussed which foods vampires preferred, opting for a more carnivorous diet. Therefore, they had an extensive livestock program. 

Remembering their time at dinner, Lucy thought about the Duke discussing cattle. Perhaps it was a good idea for him to take some of the bovine breeding stock back with him.

By the time they had finished the map, it was midnight. They adjourned again as they had the night before. 

At the meal in the grand dining hall, the knights were present. Just before the food was to be served, the king made his arrival. 

Everyone stood at attention as he approached and only took their seats once he was seated. 

Lucy shot him a glance, her curiosity getting the better of her. She swore she saw a wink in her direction, but it was so fast that she could not be sure of it. 

She spent the meal pondering whether she had imagined it or not. 

It was a feast, as always, with dishes that Lucy had never heard of. Bethias explained the origins and the contents of each dish, thus continuing her teaching. Her husband was absent from the meal, but Bethias did not seem surprised or concerned at all. 

During her time in Kunlun, she gained an understanding of the vampire palette preferences. 

She wondered if the dishes she enjoyed at the manor were the same ones on the table. Or at least being a version of them that had changed over generations. 

Sir Kendrick and Sir Jameson were seated near her. The orange-haired one enjoyed telling her about their training the day before. It was hard for him to describe the scenery, as the night provided them with little light to see. 

They had ventured outside of the capital, accompanied by Lord Garrick and the Duke. 

Lucy tried to recall the geography that Bethias had reviewed with her earlier. 

After the meal, Caen did not linger. He gave no excuses, just left. 

Before departing, Lucy asked Bethias if it would be all right for her to take a book from the library. 

“Of course, you are welcome to the entire collection. I will have Sapphira bring a few to your chambers that I would recommend.” Bethias dismissed any notion that it would be a problem. 

“Thank you,” Lucy said before giving her farewells. She was surprised Bethias knew Sapphira’s name. A member of the nobility knowing a servant and that she served Lucy was surprising.